This invention relates to popcorn popping and a unique concept relative thereto.
In the simplest well-known method of popping popcorn, which is an expandable food material, a person usually uses an ordinary frying pan or the like with a cover which is adapted to fit on the pan's top edge or rim. Popcorn kernels and cooking oil are placed in a layer in the pan bottom and the pan then subjected to relatively high heat on a stove or the like. During heating, there is a large space or chamber above the unpopped kernels and extending up to the rim of the pan, which must be brought up to popping temperature before the corn will pop. As it pops, the expanding popcorn raises up towards the cover and pan rim and often finally causes the cover to be lifted from the pan rim.
Such a system has several disadvantages. Firstly, the popping chamber is usually quite large to accommodate a majority of the popped corn, and requires a substantial amount of unnecessary heat to bring the entire chamber up to popping temperature. Secondly, during popping the usual cooking oils splatter on the pan walls and cover. When the cover is forced up from the pan rim by the expanding corn, these oils will drip from the cover and also eject through the open peripheral space between the raised cover and pan rim, causing splattering of the oils all over the area surrounding the pan. Popped corn also may spill outwardly onto the surrounding surface.
The concept of the present invention solves the above problems in a simple yet effective manner.
In accordance with various aspects of the invention, a deep walled pan is provided with the pan rim and upper wall portion forming a slightly cross sectional pan area greater than that of the pan cover. Between the pan rim and bottom, the wall is formed to provide a reduction in cross sectional pan area to less than that of the cover. The cover then can fit down into engagement with the pan wall to form, with the pan bottom, an enclosed chamber utilizing only a small portion of the total pan volume.
When corn kernels are placed on the pan bottom and the cover put in place, an energy saving low preheat is applied which quickly brings the small chamber up to popping temperature. (This contrasts with previously having to bring the entire internal pan volume up to popping temperature.) Once the kernels begin to pop, a higher heat is applied. The expanding popcorn initially rises to the cover. Subsequently, the popping chamber automatically expands upwardly by virtue of the cover being forced upwardly within the pan by the expanding popcorn. During this expansion, the expanding chamber remains essentially closed, with the upper side wall portion of the pan functioning as a splatter shield during progressive raising of the cover and popped corn.